Mercy
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: "We don't need a man of mercy on a mission of murder!" After accused of being too weak, Kuwabara reveals some thoughts that have been causing him guilt. Yusuke calls him out on that nonsense.


**Hello, I hope you enjoy the fic. I've had a hard time getting reviews for this fics at archive of our own. Its been a while since i wrote and shared it, so I really am nervous. If you have the time to read this story and let me know if it was okay or I need improvement i would seriously appreciate it.**

**Thanks!**

**P.s. I don't own any of the characters, tho i wish i did ^^!**

* * *

><p>Koenma had called Yusuke in the dead of night, sounding so very awake in that godawful hour.<p>

That was what had really woken Yusuke up, the quiet alertness in Koenma's tone.

"I know you don't work for me...But if you and the others could please...please do me a favor and come in tomorrow. There's a mission...and I'm begging that you help me out on it."

Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara were all technically "fired and retired," but there were times when in desperation they aided Koenma with spirit world troubles. Yusuke had listened in the darkness, as Koenma spoke of a demon who had appeared before Koenma begging for help. His species was being wiped out by two men, for typical reasons: Money, power, cruelty...just the typical old "razzle dazzle," of your typical bag guy. The demon who had escaped had told Koenma a dark tale and then begged for help.

Koenma had called Yusuke immediately. And his tone of alertness on the edge of begging, roused Yusuke from his sleep and was what led him to gather his friends to make that familiar march to Koenma's office.

"Did they say what species of demons were being eradicated?" Kurama asked as he rubbed his eyes, wiping off the last bit of sleep.

"Yeah...hell if I can say it though," Yusuke answered with a sly grin. He was currently pressed shoulder to shoulder with Kuwabara. The two young men were trying to slam each other into the wall. So far Yusuke had managed to slam Kuwabara into the wall four times, and Kuwabara only once.

"The demon who escaped from the attack though, his name is Rai...he's going to come with us and help us with this-SHIT!" Yusuke's explanation broke off as Kuwabara managed to get a good shove in and send Yusuke smack into the wall.

"HA! Two to four Urameshi!" Kuwabara whooped holding his hands up in victory. It didn't seem to matter that he had the lower end of the score. Managing to catch Yusuke off guard, well, that was enough.

Yusuke pushed himself away from wall and rammed into his taller friend. Both men toppled backwards, Kuwabara completely taken by surprise. Kuwabara hit the wall hard, the sound of Kuwabara's head smacking the drywall making Kurma wince and Hiei smile. Yusuke gave Kuwabara an extra punch as he backed away from the man, leaving Kuwabara grunting and groaning as he tried to push himself from the wall.

"Awwww looks like it's two to five!" Yusuke gloated, doing a small victory dance on the spot.

"Ughhh oooch!" Kuwabara moaned holding his side sliding slightly down the wall, but he was still grinning. "Game's not over yet! I'll get ya good next time Urameshi!"

"Would you two knock it off?" Hiei growled, his former amusement gone, "This walk is taking us too long. Lets get this over with!"

"Aw Hiei...you know you love us!" Yusuke goaded.

Hiei growled in response the bridge of his nose getting red. A sign that he was truly beginning to lose his temper. Kurama hid a smile and pat Hiei's shoulder offering some comfort, before tugging the shorter warrior around the corner and straight to Koenma's office.

Yusuke grinned and held out his hand for Kuwabara, offering to help him back up, "Well c'mon ya goon."

Kuwabara took the hand and was up. Once standing he casually slipped an arm around Yusuke's shoulder and gave Yusuke an affectionate noogie. "Thanks for bringing me on this mission...it'll be just like old times!" Kuwabara said with a gleeful grin. His eyes shone with that familiar, we're-going-to-kick-some-bad-guy-ass sparkle. Kuwabara had missed the last time Koenma had called on them for a mission, and now he was eager to get a second chance to bust some heads with his friends.

Kuwabara has assumed responsibility at Genkai's shrine, taking care of the cleaning and maintaining of the shrine. He even preformed tasks of blessings, and cleansing houses of evil spirits. And after discussion with Yusuke, Kuwabara had even turned the shrine in to a training ground for other young psychics-demons and humans alike. All this had kept him rather busy and Kuwabara had missed the last mission. Since their team had been retired, a chance for them to all hang out and fight together had become kind of rare. So to be asked to help on this mission (at a convenient time when his students were all occupied) had been pretty exciting for Kuwabara, even if it was under these harrowing circumstances.

The two men finally shuffled in to Koenma's office, Kurama already shaking the hand of the demon who they had come to help. Being that the demon was the only knew face in the office, it could be assumed that he was Rai.

Rai was tall, taller than Kuwabara, and his skin seemed reptilian like. His skin was dark and at certain points on his body, spikes broke out forming small triangular shaped towers. Instead of hair, smaller spikes adorned his skull, and even decorated his brow. He turned to Yusuke and Kuwabara as they walked in, his eyes white and milky. A tongue, similar to a snakes, slipped past his lips tasting the air briefly.

"Creepy..." Yusuke muttered under his beat, Kuwabara elbowing him in the ribs in response.

"Good you're here!" Koenma brushed past the demon and took Yusuke's hand shaking it vigorously. There was this relieved grateful look on his face and Yusuke could feel the tension and stress pooling off Koenma and through his handshake. Yusuke pat Koenma's shoulder trying to comfort the stressed out demi-god. Koenma smiled tightly in return and gestured for everyone to sit.

"Now if you'll all sit down...Rai will retell his story."

Once they were seated Rai told a story of how two men came into his territory. His village being fairly peaceful welcomed the men in, offering them shelter and food. Everything was fine during the day, but when night fell the men unleashed a wave of brutality. Without reason they murdered many of the warriors and herded the rest of them towards the center of their town for further death and torture. When asked why they were attacking them, the human of the group smiled and with a shrug answered, "We didn't like the dinner you served us."

The torture and murders continued into the night, and when they were done "playing," as the two called it, they put the villagers in chains and forced them to act as slaves. The men put them to work mining natural resources, and doing what ever task the two men could come up with. This lasted for a month, before they started hosting a series of tournaments forcing the villagers to fight one another. Other demons and humans were invited to these events and bet on the spectacle...and some of the villagers were even sold.

Rai had endured this life for three months before managing to escape.

"I am strong...but not like them. I need help to take them down..." Rai's voice broke off and he turned his face away with shame. "My people...they are suffering...we need help. Please."

Koenma stood up turning towards his former spirit detectives. "The demon of the pair fits a description of a demon named Yuta. He's a slave trader and a sadist, he's eluded us for years. Yuta has wiped out entire settlements of demons just for his own delight. I don't know who his human partner is, but if he's with Yuta he must be just as dangerous. These men need to be stopped...But I need you to understand something. I'm not asking you to capture them...I'm asking you to kill them."

Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke,and Kuwabara met Koenma's eyes in shock, this was not a normal request from the leader of spirit world. Koenma met their gaze and nodded, quietly acknowledging the seriousness of his request.

"I've never specifically asked you to do a mission for the singular purpose of ending someone's life. But I know for sure at least one of these men needs to be stopped-and capture is impossible. If he allows you to capture him, he'll merely break free and kill his captors."

"I'm assuming you mean this Yuta character. So, he's done that before? Allowed himself to be captured and then murdered his captors when the time was right?" Kurama asked leaning forward in his seat.

Koenma's mouth set into a firm thin line, and his eyes closed, "Yes...He's been caught twice before and killed the teams of people who had captured him. And he took his time...He kept one alive for almost four months before he finally killed them...leaving their body at our gates."

"Fuck!" Yusuke whistled covering his mouth, "This guy got all the way fucking here, and you still didn't get him?"

Koenma nodded. "He's powerful, but he's not interested in taking over the world, ending the universe...just mass genocide." Koenma folded his arm frowning darkly, "Because he was a "small fry," father never allowed for me to investigate further. Yuta has a long cool down period between his murders. Up to 50 years before he decides to go kill a group of innocent people at random and then just disappear all over again! I don't know who his human buddy is, but Yuta needs to be stopped, and his friend needs to be considered just as dangerous. Both men should be handled with lethal force, especially Yuta! He's hard to track and when you do find him he's deadly...he should have been caught a long time ago."

"You can't blame yourself. Your dad was a jerk and you know it!" Kuwabara offered seeing a dark shadow of guilt fall in Koenma's eyes, "Let's just go get this guy now! You know we can do it."

"But can _you_?" Rai interrupted catching everyone's attention.

"Doubt our strengths?" Hiei snarled getting to his feet, taking the question as a challenge.

"Not yours. Just _his_," Rai pointed a finger at Kuwabara.

Surprised by Rai's words all eyes fell on Kuwabara. Kuwabara blinked, shocked by the sudden accusation. After a moment Kuwabara slouched in his chair and raised his hands up in the air dismissively, "Oh! I get it!" He said with a drained sigh, "This is because I'm human right? Listen buddy-"

"It's not because you're human. Koenma allowed me to watch recordings of your missions...and **you**," Rai pointed again at Kuwabara, jabbing the air accusingly, "are incapable of killing anyone. You shouldn't come on this mission."

There was a long moment of silence, before Yusuke got up his chair scraping against the floor noisily, "Who the fuck are you to come here begging for help, and suddenly get all choosey who helps you?! Huh?!"

"This mission must be carried out! And after watching your tapes-"

Yusuke interrupted Rai's reply with a snarl, "Which I'm not comfortable with the fact you were watching us either buddy! Why the fuck should you be allowed to see how we fight? How do we know you're this tragic hero who escaped to free his people? This could be some stupid trap!"

Rai's eyes flashed, and the spikes on his head grew longer. He was clearly angry, Yusuke had struck a chord. Koenma quickly stepped between Rai and Yusuke, and held out a hand, "Don't Yusuke! Now you two just be reasonable-"

"Reasonable? This guy is the one asking for help, and now he's being picky about it?" Yusuke snapped back balling his hands into fists. Yusuke and Rai glared at each other, the tension in the room thick.

Kurama, Hiei, and lastly Kuwabara rose to join Yusuke's side. Rai and Yusuke continued to glare at each other from their sides of the room, before Rai turned his glare at Kuwabara. Kuwabara met Rai's gaze, confused at the sudden hostility he was receiving.

"No one you fight...dies." Rai accused Kuwabara, "You make fatal blows and they still survive...so you must hold back. It's not...an insult towards you, and I'm not accusing you of being weak, but you don't seem capable of killing anyone. You should not join us on this fight," Rai claimed folding his arms across his chest.

The statement hung in the air, but Yusuke's balled up fists and tense shoulders remained. Kuwabara shifted awkwardly on his feet, and rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed to be at a loss of what to say. No one seemed to know what to say in response to Rai's declaration.

"Look Rai..." Koenma finally began, "They are offering to help you...and they will get this task done!"

Rai shook hie head in disagreement, "Those three will, but he can't," for a third time he pointed at Kuwabara.

Kawabara's anger suddenly flared up and he smacked Rai's hand down. "Listen here, I don't know what your issue with me is-" Kuwabara's words ended in an awkward squawk as Rai grabbed Kwuabara by the front of his shirt and hoisted him off the ground.

"This is not a task to simply stop a plan!" Rai hissed his milky eyes narrowing, "And I don't have a problem with you-just with your weakness! This is a mission to murder two men! **And you can't do it!**"

"Rai stop!" Koenma pleaded, keeping a hand on Yusuke's chest knowing that if Yusuke lost his cool he wouldn't be able to stop him. Yusuke's eyes were set hard, and his body was tensed, but he hadn't launched himself at Rai's throat yet. Yusuke didn't want to risk Kuwabara's safety, and part of him wanted Rai to calm down. It had sounded that the demon had been through a lot-but if Rai took this any further-that wouldn't matter. Hiei and Kurama had chosen to surround Rai, giving the demon space, but allowing themselves to see the reptilian man from every angle. All three were ready if Rai got out of line.

"I understand you've gone through hell because of those two men who attacked your home, but put Kuwabara down and explain yourself...calmly..." Kurama advised, trying to mediate the tension in the room.

Rai held Kuwabara firmly, ignoring the others as they surrounded them. "You fought an opponent and after slashing him he plummeted into a lava pit and he still survived. Sure...you can blame that on strength...but it happens again and again. You have proven at multiple times you can not fell an opponent," Rai hissed his long tongue brushing Kuwabara's chin. Kuwabara growled and tried to jerk away in response, but Rai held Kuwabara tighter.

"You summon your strength and squash Toguro and all his vitals...but he still survived. And in the face of a brutal monster...as your best friend is about to die you slash Itsuki in half and he still _survives_-" At the mention of Itsuki's name Kuwabara's nostrils flared and he smashed his head into Rai's.

The demon dropped Kuwabara, and pressed a palm over his nose. Kuwabara's actions had stunned the other occupants of the room, and now the only people moving were Rai and Kuwabara. Kuwabara crouched in a fighting stance ready to defend if Rai came in for an attack, but Rai made no aggressive move towards Kuwabara. Instead he turned to meet Kuwabara's gaze and continued to talk.

"You have skill, and power, but you lack the will to kill anyone. Anyone you've managed to take down is nothing more than a low level demon-a beast without a mind. But you can't bring yourself to kill someone who is of higher intelligence...who has a "soul,"...you are not a murderer Kuwabara. And you can't do this mission. You'll get us all killed with your own weakness!" Rai rose to his full height daring Kuwabara to challenge him.

Kuwabara's lips pursed, and he relaxed his stance. He turned his gaze from Rai's, and that was when the demon seized Kuwabara again. Rai grabbed the startled human by the face and pushed him hard down onto the floor. Kuwabara caught Rai's wrist trying to stop the demon from digging his clawed and spiky hands too deep into his skin. They struggled together for a moment, and Rai dug his nails into Kuwabara's face finally getting Kuwabara to still.

"You are too kindhearted! I need help from people who will show these men no remorse! No Mercy!" Rai barked shouting in Kuwabara's face, almost nose to nose with the man, "Do you acknowledge these men are dangerous? Evil? That they should die?!"

"Yes!" Kuwabara snapped back his voice half drowned out by the uproar of his friends' protests-all demanding for Kuwabara's release.

"If you come face to face with these two-would you be able to kill them?! Will you deliver the final blow or will you hold back?!" Rai demanded even as Yusuke launched himself across the room and punched Rai in the face.

The first blow only managed to get get Rai slightly off balance, but the reptilian man still had a hold of Kuwabara. Yusuke punched Rai again, finally knocking the demon away from Kuwabara. Rai stumbled, putting his hands up to protect himself, but Yusuke struck again. With an outraged roar Yusuke had kicked Rai hard in the chest and sent the demon crashing into the ground.

"I don't get what this is all about, but you better fucking back the hell off!" Yusuke seethed, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Rai managed to get up on his feet breathing hard, and bleeding. It took a minute, but Rai managed to find his balance and charged Yusuke. The two's chests collided against one another, and Rai lowered his face to Yusuke's. The men growled like wild animals, neither willing to back down. Koenma continued to try and plead with both men, begging them not to fight. Rai shifted his attention back to Kuwabara, easily peering over Yusuke's head and roared, "Answer me Kuwabara! Can you kill these men!? You said they deserve to die, but could you do it?! COULD YOU?!"

"NO!"

Kuwabara's shout stopped any further movement in the room. Yusuke had stopped pushing against Rai, Hiei and Kurama had frozen just moments away from joining the fray, and Koenma's pleas finally died down. Every member in the room was looking at Kuwabara.

Kuwabara had gotten on all fours, cuts on his face, and clothes rumpled. Though Kuwabara was staring down at the floor, his slumped body and trembling shoulders revealed Kuwabara's state of mind.

"No...No I can't kill anyone!_ I can't._ I can fight...I can stop them. I'll die for my friends, I'll take what ever crap I need to keep everyone alive...and I understand that there are people out there who are like rabid dogs and just need to die...but I...I can't deliver that blow! I can't! I can't!"

Kuwabara finally got to his feet the room quiet. He wiped his face, the cuts on his face now bleeding. He wasn't looking at his friends, his face still cast down. He couldn't look at them...he didn't want to see what ever expression was on their faces.

"I'm sorry...I can't kill anyone...not...not intentionally. I'm just...it's not in me to go into a fight and plan to kill them," Kuwabara admitted, voice soft as if he was revealing some deep shame.

"Then you are of no help to anyone. You can't do this mission." Rai stated again, a victorious glimmer in his eyes. "Your friends can help me. But not you. There's no place for a man of mercy on a mission of death. You are of no use to anyone as you are now!"

Hiei moved then, striking Rai in the stomach and then hard across the face knocking Rai through Koenma's desk. Kuwabara, still unable to look at his friends, turned from the fight and fled. He did not run but his brisk walk and burning red ears spoke volumes as Kuwabara retreated.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke called after hurriedly following after the retreating man.

Kuwabara managed to get a hall away from Koenma's office before Yusuke caught the man, grasping his wrist.

"Wait! Lets talk..."

"Urameshi...Just...I should go."

"Over what that guy said? No! Fuck him! We'll help his sorry ass even if he doesn't think we can!"

"He made it clear that I can't help anyone!"

Yusuke stared at Kuwabara's slumped shoulders. He wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't expected anyone to accuse Kuwabara of being too kindhearted, how could that even _**be **_a problem? But seeing that Kuwabara seemed to have a problem with being merciful...that just wasn't right either. Unsure of what to do or say, Yusuke just held onto Kuwabara's wrist holding the man in place.

An ogre ran past with a pile of paperwork, and Yusuke remembered they were still at Koenma's office, and people could pass them at any moment. Realizing Kuwabara probably wouldn't want to talk in front of an audience, Yusuke looked for some place to take his friend.

Not far down the hall, Yusuke spotted a door. "Come on!" Yusuke ordered, dragging Kuwabara towards the unknown room. Yusuke opened the door and forced the taller man in the room, ignoring any complaints Kuwabara was muttering about. Yusuke followed after and realized they were in a small work office. The red ogre sitting behind a desk with a mountain of paperwork in front of him was a dead give away.

"Uh...wha-what?" The ogre sputtered, one hand frozen in place at the top of his paper pile.

"Out." Yusuke barked jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"But-"

"GET. OUT." Yusuke snarled his eyes glowing, and his fangs flashing.

The ogre scampered, knocking over his pile of paperwork in the scramble. Yusuke shut the door as the ogre slipped out, and turned back to Kuwabara. Kuwabara had managed to go to the corner furthest from Yusuke and stood with his back to his friend. Silence hung between then as Yusuke realized he still didn't know what to say.

"Shit...I don't understand this mess! I'm not Kurama! Kuwabara, why are you so upset?" Yusuke asked leaning against the door, blocking the exit. "Who the fuck cares if you have trouble killing somebody? I mean, fuck man! Why would you _want_ to be able to do that shit easily? You don't need to kill anyone to prove yourself or some stupid bullshit like that!"

"...You should punch me in the face Urameshi..." Kuwabara finally muttered.

Yusuke's brows rose into his hairline. "I might punch you in the face if you keep talking like that. Why do you suddenly now want to eat my fist?"

Kuwabara shuffled his feet for a moment and finally turned to look at Yusuke. Yusuke's body tensed and shot up standing straight at the sight of Kuwabara's face. Kuwabara was crying. His face and eyes were red, and tears ran unhindered down his cheeks and down his nose.

"...I can feel power in my hands just...bubbling right at the surface Urameshi. When...when we went on missions I could feel this power...and its strong. But when I go to deliver a final blow...it...it's like it disappears or gets cut in half. No matter how much I wanna do it...no matter how much I wanna stop someone...I can't kill anyone Urameshi." Kuwabara sniffled and wiped his nose.

Kuwabara placed his hands on his hips and looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. "Even when we were stuck with Itsuki...I wanted...I wanted to kill him so bad. He had been the cause of everyone's troubles! He'd tied me up, he'd beaten me, gotten me eaten by that...that thing! He was keeping me from getting to you! Keeping me from stopping Sensui from..." Kuwabara turned around completely as he choked on a sob.

"I had the power in my hands to kill Itsuki...and I couldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't do that final blow Urameshi. Not even to save my best friend...what's wrong with me? There's...this great huge power just...just hovering around me, but I can't use it. Not ever to save my best friend's life!"

Yusuke was across the room as Kuwabara's voice broke. He jumped up and swung both his arms around Kuwabara's chest in a fierce hug, forcing the man to bend down as he was dragged into the embrace. He gripped Kuwabara hard, his cheek pressed into Kuwabara's back. His chest heaved along with Kuwabara as Kuwabara sobbed.

"Nothing is wrong with you...the hell man! How can you think that? So you can't put yourself on a psycho's level! Big damn deal! Fighting and killing...those are two different things! You're a fighter...not a killer. And fuck Rai! He's just twisted up from all he had to endure-he's the one who doesn't need to be on this mission! For him it's revenge and hate-he's too close to it. He's the one who won't be able to take it!"

Kuwabara swayed a little, his body sagging from a rush of mixed emotions. Yusuke held him firm, steadying the mountain of a man who was on the brink of crumbling.

"Why the heck do you think killing someone is a must? Why is mercy a bad thing? We need mercy sometimes Kuwabara. It makes us human...makes you human. We could all stand to show a little more mercy to people. So don't beat yourself up over the fact that you're a goddamn decent person. And I ain't gonna hit ya because you couldn't kill Itsuki! Who cares! That mess with Sensui...there was no avoiding that! And even if you didn't kill Itsuki you broke through. You cut through Itsuki and got to me...don't forget I allowed Sensui to get me. None of that was your fault."

Kuwabara didn't say anything in response. Yusuke continued to hold Kuwabara. squeezing his friend firmly wishing for a moment, that he really was Kurama. Kurama was the one with the elegant words...he could say everything Kuwabara needed to hear. Yusuke pressed his forehead into Kuwabara's back, holding Kuwabara tight and hoping he could find the right words to reassure his best friend. And in that moment of longing an idea came to him.

"You remember those three guys under Ichigaki's control?" Yusuke asked his grip on Kuwabara easing up just a bit, "En...Kai, Ryo...we would have never been able to save them if it wasn't for you. If you couldn't sense their hopelessness and goodness trapped inside their bodies-they would be dead. I would have killed them.

And do you know how awful that would have been? Living with the fact that I murdered three innocent people who were being controlled by a bastard? Even worse...what if I never knew? What if I just killed them, and they remained unknown innocent victims. That's even more fucked up...Those guys would have been dead if it wasn't for you. You saved them from misery Kuwabara...and you saved me from making a terrible mistake."

For a moment Kuwabara's body still remained tense, but Yusuke could feel the tension slowly begin to disperse as Kuwabara considered Yusuke's words. Finally, Kuwabara's body relaxed, and after a moment one of his hands came to grip Yusuke's wrist. He still hadn't turned to look at Yusuke, but Kuwabara was calmer now, and willing to take in what Yusuke had to say.

"You don't need to be a killer Kuwabara. Just fight with us. That's all you've done, and all you've ever needed to do."

Kuwabara's body relaxed and he slumped further into Yusuke's embrace. Yusuke sighed as Kuwabara finally seemed to understand. Yusuke held Kuwabara listening to Kuwabara's heart rate slow down into a less relaxed state. Yusuke would have never guessed Kuwabara had felt this way all these years. And why should he? Why did Kuwabara need to kill someone to prove his strength? And the answer was, that he didn't. And fuck anyone who ever made Kuwabara feel bad for being unable to kill someone outright.

Kuwabara took in a breath. "But Rai's right...I won't be able to kill those guys...I..." Kuwabara began, voice filling up with leftover guilt.

"Look shut up," Yusuke interrupted, "If it gets down to it being you and them-you'll stop them. Maybe you won't kill them, but you'll stop them. You always pull through in the end. And whether or not you slash 'em to bits or just knock them out doesn't determine your strength as man or your honor...or whatever. So...just...you're good." Yusuke ended lamely not sure what else to say.

He was no Kurama after all.

The silence lasted, but the tension was gone. Kuwabara wiggled in Yusuke's hold and slipped his arm around the smaller man's waist. The two hugged properly, Kuwabara burying his face in the crook of Yusuke's neck while the shorter man struggled to fully envelope the big guy in his arms. It wasn't a task Yusuke could do, so he settled for hugging the giant of a man best he could.

"Crybaby. Getting all emotional over nothing...I'd never ask ya to kill someone for me Kuwabara...and I don't want an apology for being unable to kill someone," Yusuke sighed patting Kuwabara's back.

"...Thank you Urameshi..."

Finally, the two released one another, and Kuwabara wiped his wet face with his arm. Yusuke watched as Kuwabara put himself back together without judgment. Sometimes you needed to cry, just like sometimes guys needed each other. When Kuwabara was able to look back at Yusuke and grin, Yusuke fully relaxed.

Yusuke smiled at his best friend, and then punched him hard in the arm and shouldered him into the wall.

"Ow! Shit!" Kuwabara complained scrambling to push himself away from the wall and regain his balance. He rubbed his arm, a pout set on his face as he fixed Yusuke with an accusing glare.

"Six to two now," Yusuke said smugly, raising his chin up.

Kuwabara rolled his eyes, and lightly bumped his shoulder with Yusuke, "Six to two," he agreed.

"What do we do about Rai?"

"Pff. Leave him here!" Yusuke snorted, "I don't need his vengeful ass on my team fucking everything up. He came here begging for help didn't he? Well beggars can't be choosers. So if he doesn't want you to help him, then he can't have me, Kurama, or Hiei to help him! We'll just go to this place on our own and kick some ass!"

Kuwabara chuckled as Yusuke opened the door, revealing Kurama and Hiei waiting just outside leaning against the wall. They had probably been outside listening quietly to the whole exchange, but if that was true, nothing about their postures or faces gave them away. Kuwabara pushed his hands into his pockets and offered the pair a lopsided smile. Kurama easily returned the smile and moved to stand on Kuwabara's other side.

"We should head back to Koenma's office, Hiei made sure that Rai is more willing receive or aid."

Yusuke and Kuwabara both smiled at Hiei. Hiei grunted in annoyance and turned from the trio walking back towards Koenma's office.

"Kuwabara...are you okay?" Hiei tossed over his shoulder.

Kuwabara grinned, fighting a laugh, "Yeah. M'fine."

Hiei grunted again, disappearing quickly down the hall before any more words could be exchanged.

"What a softy," Yusuke teased as he and the rest of his team retook the path towards Koenma's office.

As they rounded the corner Kuwabara pushed Yusuke hard into a wall, the sudden push surprising Yusuke so much he fell to the ground.

"Six to three!" Kuwabara snickered, picking up the pace as Yusuke hurried back to his feet.

"Kuwabara! Asshole!" Yusuke roared, charging forward planning on tackling Kuwabara and punching him in his laughing mug. Their laughter echoed down the hall, fading as they reached Koenma's office, where they would once again extend their help towards Rai's desperate situation.

End.


End file.
